Apelin and how it helps aging muscles recover
Official title: Apelin Signaling in Muscle Regeneration
Funded at University of Maine Orono · NIH-11335629 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether boosting a natural protein called apelin can help older muscles heal and stay stronger.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maine Orono NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orono, United States) |
| Project start | April 5, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $322,407 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM144265-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11335629 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults with age-related muscle weakness or sarcopenia would be the most likely candidates for future clinical trials based on this research.
✕Less likely to help
People whose muscle problems come from non-aging causes such as genetic muscle diseases or recent traumatic injury may not benefit from apelin-focused approaches.
What this research studies
Researchers will use zebrafish as a lab model to mimic aging-related muscle loss and study how apelin affects muscle repair. They will raise or lower apelin levels using drugs and genetic tools, then observe how muscle tissue and repair cells respond. Single-cell RNA sequencing will map how muscle stem cells, blood vessel cells, and immune cells change with apelin signaling. The goal is to find the key signals that could be targeted to slow or reverse age-related muscle wasting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments to improve muscle repair and reduce age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies have shown that apelin treatment can improve muscle regeneration in aged animals, but the detailed cellular mechanisms remain novel and under study.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maine Orono
Orono, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Madelaine, Romain — University of Maine Orono
- Study coordinator: Madelaine, Romain
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.